Tuesday, June 7, 2022, Robin Stears

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here.  "What!?," I hear you ask. "Isn't this Tuesday and not Thursday?  Did I oversleep?  By forty-eight hours?  Where is Hahtoolah?"  Well, as she let us know last Tuesday, and D-O further informed us last Wednesday, Hahtoolah is touring in Europe this month.  I have the honor of filling in for her today.  While I do not expect to come anywhere close to her level of clarity and humor, perhaps we can still share some insights and some laughs.

Today's puzzle setter, in what is not her L A Times crossword debut, is Robin Stears .   Here is a link to a December, 2017 introduction to Robin on the Puzzle Nation site:  Robin Stears / Puzzle Nation.

The puzzle's reveal comes after all four of the themed answers (if you solve from top to bottom):

54. "Shoo!," and an instruction that goes with the last words of the answers to the starred clues: GET OUT OF HERE.

The starred clues and answers are:

19 Across:  *Social media time-out: FACEBOOK JAIL.  Get out of jail.

26 Across:  *Channel bottom: CREEK BED.  Get out of bed.

34 Across:  *Area of Hersheypark with the Candymonium roller coaster: CHOCOLATE TOWN.  Get out of town.

47 Across:  *Bit of trickery on a return: TAX DODGE.  Get out of Dodge.  From oaters.

Here is how this all looks in the grid:

 . . .  and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Multivitamin mineral: ZINC.  What kind of metal was RMS Titanic made of?  ZINC.

5. Joined the choir: SANG.  A famous singer SANG for the patients at a hospital.  When he finished he said "Bye bye.  I hope you get better."  "You, too," replied the patients.

9. Corn discard: COB.  The first of twenty-six three-letter answers today.

12. Rachael Ray sauteing initialism: EVOO.

13. Ranch rope: LARIAT.  See also 8 Down.

15. "Knives Out" actress de Armas: ANA.

16. Foam ball brand: NERF.

Nerf Dog Tennis Ball Launcher

17. Kampala's country: UGANDA.  The capital and largest city.

18. Pro Bowl org.: NFL.  The National Football League.

22. Pinnacles: ACMES.  When the clue is singular we have to choose between ACME and APEX but neither APICES nor APEXES was going to work.

25. Church topper: STEEPLE.

30. Frozen rain: SLEET.

31. How-__: DIY guides: TOS.

32. "Life of Pi" director Ang: LEE.

33. Jazz poet Scott-Heron: GIL.  New to me but easily perped.

40. Half an umlaut: DOT.

41. "Blue Bloods" actor Cariou: LEN.

42. Thumbs-up at NASA: AOK.  Not a dyslexic tree.

44. Land measures: ACRES.  A quarter ACRE of undeveloped land might not seem like much to some people but to me it's a lot.

50. Move in a breeze, as a flag: FLUTTER.

53. Printer brand: EPSON.

58. Skeptical laugh: HAH.  Not to be confused with a sneaky laugh, HEH?

59. "__ Rouge!": Kidman film: MOULIN.  Français.  En anglais, c'est Red Mill.

60. Written reminder: NOTE.

64. MSNBC journalist Melber: ARI.  See also Exodus, Entourage, and Jackie "O".

65. Came afterward: ENSUED.

66. Actor McGregor: EWAN.

67. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE.

68. Papaya discard: SEED.

69. Many an auctioned auto, for short: REPO.  REPOssessed.

REPOSSESSED - 1990

Down:

1. Super chill, informally: ZEN.

2. "Now __ seen everything!": IVE.

3. Neither's partner: NOR.

4. Dunkin' serving: COFFEE.  In 2019, Dunkin' Donuts changed its name to, simply, Dunkin'.  Several years earlier, Merl Reagle gave us all a laugh by relocating the D and thereby changing the name to Unkind Donuts.

5. Stuffing herb: SAGE.

6. Many a Moroccan: ARAB.  ARAB has also been clued roughly seven hundred other ways according to the Visual Fractions website.

7. Spanish boys: NINOS.

8. "Wonder Woman" star Gal: GADOT.  Gal visits fairly often.

Wonder Woman and Her Lasso of Truth

9. Cocktail party bite: CANAPE.

10. Among one's records: ON FILE.

11. "Swan Lake," for one: BALLET.

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo

13. "Star Trek" captain Jean-__ Picard: LUC.  A CSO to Robert.

14. Doesn't fight back: TAKES IT.  For a brief moment I thought that they had dropped a letter.  Don't TAKE SIT from anyone!

20. Inquire: ASK.

21. Dessert that quivers: JELLO.

22. Play a role onstage: ACT.

23. Shoe with lots of holes: CROC.

24. Netting material: MESH.

27. Rorschach test component: BLOT.  What do you see?

28. Fish that can swim backward: EEL.

29. Handed out cards: DEALT.

33. Group with fortysomethings: GEN X.  Born between 1961 and 1981.

35. Poetic opening: ODE TO.

36. Halloween garb: COSTUME.

37. Spill the __: gossip: TEA.

38. Fistfuls of dollars: WADS.

39. Thumbs-down at NASA: NO GO.  Not A OK.

43. Jeong of "Community": KEN.  This was beyond my KEN.  Thanks, perps.

44. Crocheted coverlet: AFGHAN.

45. "Ramona the Pest" novelist Beverly: CLEARY.

46. Blues and folk singer/songwriter Foster: RUTHIE.

Ruthie Foster Covers Johnny Cash

48. German article: DER.  We have to figure out if it will be DER or EIN.

49. Warm-up act: OPENER.

51. Jackets named for a British school: ETONS.

52. Shake awake: ROUSE.

55. Chimney part: FLUE.

56. Hurried, quaintly: HIED.

57. Finish: END.  So what if you don't know what Armageddon means.  It's not like it's the END of the world.

61. Be indebted to: OWE.

62. Slight touch: TAP.

63. Ambient music pioneer Brian: ENO.  Another frequent visitor.

As a postcript, some cruciverbalists might find the following article to be of interest:

Discover Magazine - Neural Crossword Solver Outperforms Humans

. . . . and now, perhaps, it is time to get out of Dodge . . .

פרת ים

MM Out

Monday June 6, 2022 Craig Stowe

Theme: SANDWICH BAR (63. Spot to assemble the first parts of the answers to the starred clues)

17. *Take a chance: ROLL THE DICE.

24. *Minnesota medical center: MAYO CLINIC.

38. *Mug for the cameras: HAM IT UP.

52. *Vatican security detail: SWISS GUARD.

Boomer here.  

I am the HAM and C.C. is the SWISS cheese. We are both proud of the historic MAYO clinic although thankfully we have never had to check in there.  And yes, I ROLL the dice but Minnesota does not have craps tables.  I have to go to Wisconsin or Las Vegas.

Across:

1. Tibetan monks: LAMAS.

6. Game with drivers and carts: GOLF.  Don't forget irons, putters, and balls with dimples.

10. __ of gold: POT. Win on at the poker table.

13. Eggy brunch choice: OMELET.  You may get one at a Vegas buffet.  But you might have to wait in line.

15. Slender woodwind: OBOE.

16. Flightless bird of Australia: EMU.

19. Photographer Goldin: NAN.

20. Squirrel's discard: NUTSHELL.  Well, we had squirrels that discarded tulips.

21. Pancakes often served with smoked salmon: BLINI.  Never heard of this.  I prefer maple syrup.

23. Archaic "once": ERST.

27. Blessing ender: AMEN.  One of the few four letter words that religion approves.

29. "Oh, now I see": AH YES.

30. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE. Trick of a mollusk.

33. GI show gp.: USO.  When in Hardheim, we had to travel to Stuttgart for a show.

34. Quacking bird: DUCK.  Pitchers may DUCK when a line drive comes back at them.

37. Slice of history: ERA.  It could raise their ERA.

42. Language of Southeast Asia: LAO.

43. Off-white shade: ECRU.  Calvin Klein and the Gap are trying to convince the public that yellowish gray is a neat color.

45. Pollen gatherer: BEE.

46. Arcade pioneer: ATARI.  Yes indeed.  My first go at a computer!

48. Hole in a tub: DRAIN.

50. Covert ops outfit, for short: CAMO.  We never needed these in Germany.  Only in combat areas.

55. "Hey, you!": PSST.

59. Sun porch: LANAI.  Located in our 50th state.

60. Float in the air: LEVITATE.

62. So last month: OLD. "Old friends, sat on their park bench like bookends." Simon and Garfunkel

66. Laudatory poem: ODE.  "It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty, Delta day"  Bobbie Gentry: "ODE to Billie Joe".

67. Area behind an altar: APSE.

68. Hears (of): LEARNS.

69. Chicken __: itchy malady: POX.  As long as it is not Monkey Pox.

70. Class ring number: YEAR.  Mine is 1965.

71. Wager: STAKE.  $22.00 on the inside numbers, (5,6,8.9) 

Down:

1. "SNL" producer Michaels: LORNE.  

 

 

2. French love: AMOUR.

3. Gets soupy, as ice cream: MELTS.  Or Minnesota snow.  It took longer than the past, but it's long gone now!

4. Elite athlete: ALL-STAR.  Waiting for the selections for the Mid-Summer classic.

5. Late-night host Meyers: SETH.

6. Divine: GODLY.

7. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI.  Jedi for a Halloween costume 

8. Opp. of express: LOC.  Local.

9. Without oomph: FEEBLY.  My bowling since my spinal cord got feeble.

10. Landform that juts into the water: PENINSULA.  Florida.

11. Resident of a Middle Eastern sultanate: OMANI.

12. Loose-fitting top: TUNIC.

14. Unifying feature of many crosswords: THEME. Monday to Friday L.A. Times crosswords all have themes.  Sunday too.

18. Splashy style: ELAN.

22. Fibbed: LIED.  If someone tells you he never told a lie, don't believe him.

25. Hops-drying oven in a brewery: OAST.  I never knew what hops were.  Still don't.

26. "Mon petit __": French endearment: CHOU.

28. "It's okay, I guess": MEH.

30. Jill Biden, __ Jacobs: NEE.  Last name before marriage.

31. Rainbow shape: ARC.  "Why are there so mane songs about rainbows?"

32. Analog catalog in British libraries: CARD INDEX. Not index card?

33. One-eighty: UIE.  I thought that was spelled ewee

35. Indy 500 racer: CAR.  These machines should have a name slicker than CAR.

36. Colorful pond fish: KOI.

39. "You're making __ mistake!": A BIG.

40. Feature of many restaurant websites: MENU.  They all make it look good on web commercials.

41. Actress Grier: PAM.  Cooking spray.

44. __ Minor: constellation: URSA.  Little dipper.

47. "Let's see you do better!": TOP THAT.  Got any baseball cards?

49. "To quote myself ... ": AS I SAY.  I have more than you.

50. Team on a film set: CREW.

51. Ibuprofen brand: ADVIL. I switched to Tylenol to prep for the surgery.

52. Sailing vessel: SLOOP.  "We sailed on the sloop John B."

53. Picture book character lost in a crowd: WALDO.

54. Birch family tree: ALDER.  I think Birch are Alder than Oak.

56. Brand of hummus: SABRA.

57. Smelled a lot: STANK.  "He lit a match to check the STANK, that's why they call him Skinless Frank."

58. To the point: TERSE.

61. Puts frosting on: ICES.  Or winter weather ICES our driveway.

64. Imitate: APE.  The hairy one.

65. Super-secret intel org.: NSA.

Sign on the wall last Tuesday when I had the surgery.

Boomer

VA Ortho, 5/31/2022

Sunday June 5, 2022 Doug Peterson

Theme: "Mocktails" - Each cocktail is re-defined as its other meaning.

 22. ROB ROY: WALTER SCOTT NOVEL.

 32. MIMOSA: FLOWERING TREE.

 51. STINGER: SCORPIONS WEAPON.

 68. SIDECAR: MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORY.

 85. COSMOPOLITAN: FASHION MAGAZINE.

 101. MANHATTAN: NEW YORK ISLAND.

 116. GRASSHOPPER: CROP-EATING INSECT.

What other cocktails came to your mind? They have to be redefinable though. 

The clues are often in caps and the answers are often not in-the-language for this type of puzzle.

So nice to see Doug Peterson back with a Sunday grid. Been 8 years since I last blogged his puzzle. Doug is themeless master. He's known for his smooth and clean grids.

Doug Peterson

Across:

1. Stick in a nest: TWIG.

5. Box set elements: DVDS.

9. Arctic jacket: ANORAK. With fur-lined hood.

15. Zilch: NIL.

18. Very, very: OH SO.

19. Informal pricing words: A POP.

20. "Starsky & Hutch" Ford model: TORINO. What's so special about Gran Torino?

21. Miffed: SORE.

25. Like items at a garage sale: USED.

26. Dependable: STEADY.

27. Zen garden carp: KOI.

28. Writing to: EMAILING.

30. Submit, as a tax return: FILE.

36. "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" singer Travis: TRITT.

39. Lenovo products: PCS. Originally called Legend. Lenovo is a portmanteau of "Le" (Legend) and "novo" (new).

41. Org. with Red Wings and Blue Jackets: NHL.

42. Prompt giver: CUER.

43. Word on Irish stamps: EIRE.

44. Longtime label for Elton John: MCA.

45. Ice cream measure: SCOOP. You can probably find mochi ice cream in your local Target or Trader Joe's. The outside is the chewy mochi (sticky rice). Chinese and Japanese like to use sticky rice for desserts.

47. Secret meetings: TRYSTS.

55. Contented sigh: AAH.

56. Decimal base: TEN.

57. Squid kin: OCTOPI.

58. Venerable British school: ETON. Rival of Harrow.

60. More, in adspeak: XTRA.

61. Marry, as metals: WELD.

63. Gossip blogger Hilton: PEREZ. See Paris there? That's where Perez got his name inspiration.

66. Pelican, for one: SEA BIRD.

72. Shade provider: PARASOL. I just call mine an umbrella.

73. Calyx part: SEPAL.

74. Head for the terminal: TAXI.

75. NASA go-aheads: A-OKS.

76. Gyro bread: PITA.

79. Linked (up): PAIRED.

81. Zilch: ZIP.

84. Not post-: PRE.

89. Respiratory cavity: AIR SAC.

93. Dull sounds: THUDS.

94. Pt. of ERA: AVG. Earned Run Average.

95. Sinusitis-treating MDs: ENTS.

96. "Sad to say ... ": ALAS.

98. Quaint "before": ERE.

99. Tool in the Portland Timbers logo: AXE. Fresh clue angle. Soccer team.

100. Specialized jargon: ARGOT.

106. Extinct flightless bird: DODO.

108. Priced to sell in a store: AT RETAIL.

109. "Shea Butter Baby" R&B singer Lennox: ARI.

111. Check out quickly: PEEK AT.

115. Pop diva who recorded the ABBA cover album "Dancing Queen": CHER.

121. Coop layers: HENS.

122. "Pride and Prejudice" novelist: AUSTEN.

123. Social sci. major: ECON.

124. Modest acknowledgment: I TRY.

125. Surgery ctrs.: ORS.

126. Duplicitous: SNEAKY.

127. Back of the neck: NAPE.

128. "The Great British Bake Off" co-presenter Fielding: NOEL. No idea.

Down:

1. Pulls behind: TOWS.

2. "Are you serious?": WHAT.

3. Small landmass: ISLE.

4. Started to nag persistently: GOT AFTER.

5. Actress Hannah: DARYL. She's in "Splash"

6. No. twos: VPS.

7. Connect with the space station, e.g.: DOCK.

8. Parodies: SPOOFS.

9. QB stat: ATT. I had to google: Total attempts.

10. Persona __ grata: NON.

11. __ y plata: Montana motto: ORO.

12. Missouri or Ohio: RIVER. Iowa too.

13. Lacking energy: ANEMIC. Boomer is anemic now, side effect of the cancer treatments.

14. Caffeine-rich seed: KOLA NUT.

15. Polite refusal: NO SIR.

16. "Fame" star Cara: IRENE.

17. Shelf: LEDGE.

21. Hot and muggy: SULTRY.

23. Exchange words?: EDIT. Nice clue.

24. Up to, casually: TIL.

29. Longtime Disney CEO Bob: IGER.

31. Home of Disney's World Showcase: EPCOT.

33. Never again: ONCE.

34. "Easy there!": WHOA.

35. Rush into a relationship?: ELOPE. Great clue also.

36. Trial run: TEST.

37. Basmati __: RICE. I'm so ingrained in my rice choice: only short-grained, whether sushi or sticky rice. Thai sticky rice is long-grained.

38. Supporting role in construction?: IRON-WORKER. OK, I get the supporting part.

40. Shade provider: CANOPY.

44. Confident gesture after a performance: MIC DROP.

45. Pattern in a marble rye: SWIRLS.

46. Poker prize: POT.

48. Sending up: SATIRIZING.

49. Dawdle: TARRY. So we arrived at the VA at 7:10am, thinking the surgery would start at 7:45am. Well, it started at 2:18 pm and ended around 5:48pm. I later learned that the delay is not unusual. The nurse said normally only the first surgery (the guy who arrives there at 5:30am) starts on time.

50. Roe source: SHAD.

52. Some shirts: POLOS.

53. Freelance detail, briefly: SPEC.

54. Bouquet: NOSE.

59. Financial planning result, hopefully: NEST EGG.

60. Microsoft console: XBOX.

62. In-flight figs.: ETAS.

64. Letters on some pumps: EEE. Shoes. Also 65. Shoe retailer owned by Amazon: ZAPPOS. Do any of you own New Balance 550 Green?  Look at the price here. Someone is selling them for $700 on eBay. I know D-Otto loves New Balance, but men's 550 are not that hot.

67. Carne __: burrito filling: ASADA.

68. New Zealand native: MAORI.

69. Energy bar brand with a rock climber in its logo: CLIF.

70. James of "Elf": CAAN.

71. Decisive point: CLIMAX.

72. Storybook bear: PAPA.

77. Pic that's costly to remove: TAT. You can have fake ones.

78. Sign of hearth burn: ASHES.

80. Carried on: RAVED.

82. Really digging: INTO.

83. Nudnik: PEST. "Nudnik" is new to me.

86. Fling: HURL.

87. Mental flash: IDEA.

88. Concentrates (on): ZEROES IN.

90. Novelist Dorothy who created Lord Peter Wimsey: SAYERS.

91. Heaps: A LOT.

92. Northernmost South American capital: CARACAS. Capital of Venezuela.

97. Winter resort course: SKI RUN.

99. Oscar winner Brody: ADRIEN. He won an Oscar for his "The Pianist" performance.

100. Yemeni port: ADEN.

101. Chip to dip: NACHO.

102. Bygone anesthetic: ETHER.

103. Small songbirds: WRENS.

104. Admission of defeat: I LOSE.

105. __ Geo Wild: NAT.

107. Express a view: OPINE.

110. Ancient Peruvian: INCA.

112. Ultra-low-carb diet, for short: KETO. Reminds me of our Fermat Prime, who follows Keto diet.

113. Good-sized plot: ACRE.

114. "bye 4 now": TTYL. Talk to You Later.

117. Fundraising org.: PTA.

118. Shrill shriek: EEK.

119. "__ more bright ideas?": ANY.

120. RNC group: GOP.

A few extra notes:

1) Over the years, Rich and Patti have kindly sent advance copies of the LA Times crosswords to all bloggers so we don't need to stay up late to blog the puzzles. Patti requires that we do not share the copies with others, including constructors. So, there will be no more embedded notes for the puzzles in our future write-ups. Of course, constructors are still welcome to comment on our blog. I'm sure Gary will continue to make his write-ups special.

2) Boomer's surgery went smoothly last Tuesday. He had quite a bit of blood loss, but no other complications. The bad news is that they found cancer cells in his left shoulder. The doctors and the spinal cord PT wanted him to stay longer at the hospital, but you all know Boomer. He was adamant about coming home on Thursday, so he did. 

The past few days have been extremely challenging, with his spinal cord issues, weak legs and shoulder pain, but he's been managing OK, no falls. Any day without a fall is a victory to me now.

Boomer, 5/31/2022